“Please great your avian carriers. They remember you, please get on them and they will bring you to my palace. Simone your carrier is not here yet. She must fly farther than the others,” I said not really knowing what I was saying. But I made sense and felt natural to me. I was still tired but I knew what was going to happen.
“Kade what do you mean my bird?” Simone asked, stepping closer to me. I could see the tired look in his eyes, my world was starting to get to him already.
“Simone, I really don’t know all the details but I’m starting to remember things, more things. The more time you spend out side of the Palace you will get weaker and weaker until you dim. As the more powerful of the 12 we are effected more by each other’s realms. If you spend to much time wondering my realm it very well may kill your body,” I said feeling smarter. Like I had remembered something extremely important.
“How do you know that?” He asked me, as everyone else looked on at us.
“I will explain in the palace. Everyone get on your carriers please,” I said flexing my wings out right, flapping into the air. My feet lifting off the ground, feeling the air blow around my face. It was healing, the sense of my powers growing the more air hitting me.
I flapped in the air, watching everyone’s face drop in shock and horror. The horror I didn’t get but I figured it was definitely not something they were used to, it was still new to me as well.
Solena and Selena looked at each other, looked back up at me then looked at each other again. Clasping hands together they bowed to their carriers, or who they assumed was their carriers. From behind the birds they bowed, a 5 foot old world nightingale stepped forward bowing and swinging its left wing at Selena, while a 6 foot song thrush stepped next to it and spread its right wing to Solena, each bird following through with a bow and scrape. Their opposite wings outstretched while the other clutched to their breasts. The opposite leg lifting into the air slightly in a regal feel.
Piper already on her swan carrier, the long neck wrapping around her in almost a cuddling fashion. Desmond launched in the air, Gabriella’s raven leapt up, the twins leapt as well. Leaving Piper, Simone on the ground. Simone looked up at me confused by what was happening.
Just as Piper’s carrier launched into the air, the ground became enflamed. Simone looked rejuvenated by the fire. His face lighting up with power.
“No way he isn’t growing wings too! Why cant we?” Piper said looking upset, and still happy holding onto her dripping wet bird.
“No, wings are only for me and Quart, when we wake him. But Simone bird is from the depths of hell, she has to rise from the earth.” I said pointing to the ground around Simone, the flames dimming, and solidifying as a bird curled around his feet. A long slender type bird I had no name for in the human language. It looked like a mixture of a long snake, with wings like a dragon. Its face had a beak like an eagle. It was beyond what I could explain to them.
Simone’s eyes lit up as he sat on the birds back. Its wings bursting into flames as it leapt into the air, that part confused me since it had no legs. Simone’s face had color return to it. He was feeling his powers return.
“Kade how did you know to do this, or how is this even possible?” Gabriella asked as her raven flew closer to me. The remainder of the carriers missing riders took into the air.
“I guess we have been here before. Or sometime in the past, just like all of your realms have been around for millennia I guess we have as well. Not these bodies but our powers. I’m starting to remember a lot of things. Not all things match my mortal life but I’m piecing it together,” I said looking at her, while launching myself farther into the air.
“You all may want to hold your break when the bird tells you too,” I added looking at the birds, each almost nodding their heads as if to acknowledge my words.
And with that we all took off, Desmond was right in the fact we were flying farther and farther from the entrance where Solena and Selena opened the portal.
We soared through the clouds, dodging the floating boulders, raising higher and higher. The ground becoming invisible, I could feel the air getting thinner and thinner. The birds began doing maneuvers around trees sticking out of the rocks, soaring between each other. Piper and Gabriella laughed loudly as their birds flew one above the other, Gabriella upside down. Solena and Selena were so close to each other the two birds almost one in the sky. As we flew through the air, everyone was having so much fun, laughing and playing with the clouds.
In the distance I could see the bright gleam of the palace. It was confusing why it was called a palace if it looked like a castle. It was just a large as I remembered, almost the size of a castle with multiple turrets reaching even higher into the sky. An empty moat around the castle grounds. Its bridge leading to an open metal grate gate. Along the top of the wall spanning between each turret was a wall-walk with similarly large birds, but each wearing what looked like armor covering their bodies. Inside the castle walls were hundreds of houses with human looking creatures wandering around. Finally the castle itself was in the far corner of the walls. Multiple stories, all complete reflective glass surrounding the castle for walls.
The birds made a loud screeching noise, everyone took a deep breathe in as the birds and I lunged straight into the empty moat. It too was reflective but it was completely devoid of oxygen. Somehow the birds were able to fly but they to did not need to breathe. As we flew through the devoid space there was a bright light up ahead as a door opened. Each bird landing and allowing their passengers to hop off. My wings folded back into my back, disappearing into my body as if they were never there again.
Everyone’s birds headed off into what looked like a barn like building, while Simone’s lit on fire again, but instead of disappearing it shrunk to a smaller form, solidifying itself around his neck like a necklace. It body forming a chain as its wings shrunk creating a pendant.
“Why is his like that?” Solena asked as she gripped his necklace trying to look at it.
“No Solena don’t!” I yelled as she screamed in pain.
Everything happened so fast, Selena ran to Solena, ripping her hand away from the necklace. Simone backed up scared of what happened. Throwing the necklace off his body. A dozen of guardian birds came flying into the room, each ready to attack.
“What did that do to her?” Selena asked in a panic, holding her twins hands healing them.
“The necklace is the hell bird, the bird is from hell itself, born of the fires. It is impossible for anyone but myself and Simone to touch. Your bodies cant handle the pure heat it gives off. Its to help Simone survive in my realm. Keep the heat of fire inside him at all times. Please Simone put the bird back on,” I said pointing to the necklace now on the ground.
“Its okay Celeste,” I said rubbing the neck of the guardian next to me, as I did so she nodded and flew off. The following birds did the same.
We made our way up through the palace, each taking their own little tour of the place.
Desmond and I walked up the main stairs, looking at all the photos and art along the wall, at first I didn’t understand what was with the photos but as we walked farther and farther the memories continued to flash by. Even through the years and different bodies we were all ways together.
“Ever since you woke my memories have been flooding. I can remember so many things, its like I was still not woke until you came to me. That’s how I knew were you would be. We all felt you wake but I could sense where you were, and that you were in trouble,” Desmond said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder leaning in to kiss me.
The dream slammed into my head, this kiss the same, it was so full of life, so full of breath. Our kiss broke again and just like the dream, small clouds of green and purple smoke drifted from between us, floating into the air caressing the photos like fingers grazing them.
It took my breath away just like the dream. Our hands clasped together as we continued back up the stairs. We headed towar
ds the thrown room, excitement filled me. Like we had never been apart.
Chapter 9
Hecate
Everyone managed to find their way into the dining hall, each taking a seat in different locations, almost as if instinctively. Desmond sat next to me, as Simone took his seat across the head of table from me. Piper was about to sit next to him when he threw his hand down on the chair. His face lit with flame, his eyes full of rage, “No,” he yelled at her.
She jumped into the air, scared by how loud his tone was.
“I’m sorry Piper, I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what came over me,” he said looking at her again.
“Its okay, sitting here feels right anyway. Something about it,” she said not really finishing her sentence at all, just settling into her chair.
Another set of birds trailed into the room with places balanced on their hands as they fluttered to the table. Humming birds the size of little dogs laid plates down on the table in front of us. Each seemed to be tailored to each of us, food we all would enjoy.
As each of us began digging into the food, the guardian bird from the basement walked up to my chair, leaning down to my ear. Its voice sounded like music tones playing, but I could understand every word like mortal English.
“Master, Hecate has heard from her spies you have been woken and our world is alive again. She has requested an audience with you and your fellow twelve. When we refused, she insisted and has made the journey to our realm. She is in the thrown room, I couldn’t stop her, I accept responsibility for this and will take what ever punishment you deem fit.” Her voice was elegant and beautiful, and then her words hit me.
“God no, I said out loud. There will be no punishment, please tell her I will meet with her in a moment.” I said nodding my head towards the door.
Everyone looked at me baffled by what had just transpired. Forgetting they didn’t speak bird like I did I guessed. Desmond started laughing, looking at me and smiling.
“You may want to enlighten them to what they are about to walk into,” He said still laughing at me.
I tried to be brief and fill them in on what Desmond and I had discovered while we were in the thrown room earlier in the day. When two of us were awakened and unbound we retained our lives of memories, not just the physical memories. We also were able to understand each other better. We figured it had to do with us being partners in every life, as if soulmates together. Piper and Simone seemed a little skeptical but they didn’t seem to complain but understood why were able to remember so much.
Finally explaining Hecate to them was beyond difficult; and at night when she would be the crown. Her usual memory fading and drifting to death. I wasn’t sure what she would think with only half of us here still missing and un awakened.
Hecate was the seer of all magic, the mother of all magic as some believes called her. And boy did she ever like that title. It wasn’t even close to the truth, but she still took it upon herself to make the claim. Millenia ago she awoke the dormant abilities in some mortals to help the earth realm grow and flourish to keep her realm living. When all she managed to accomplish was making those mortals full of themselves. They became what the Greeks called the “Gods of Olympus”.
Hecate since hasn’t given mortals powers, but she still tries to control all those with abilities. But to be here in Zephyr palace seemed strange, in past she would meet the Elemental’s in her realm, the Yggdrasil; a tree of life, reaching into all realms leading and preserving life. Which incidentally leads into all twelve of our realms, as the elementals the keeps of earth.
The carrier birds followed each of us into the thrown room where Hecate was waiting. The guardian birds opened the doors for us, two large bore like creatures stood, their heads the shape of a bore, their bodies that of man. Each holding spears and a shield as in protection to their queen.
She sat regally in my thrown, her hands draped over the edge of the arm rests, her old boney fingers making clicking noises on the chair arm. Her skin was pail grey, wrinkled all over, her brow was so heavy it looked to fall over her eyes as if to hide the milky clouds covering her pupil. For a crown she still had a magnificent dress on, black in color with little white sparkles, shaped and shining like stars above. Matching the earth sky perfectly. The hood fully structured, hovering above her head, as little star shining above her head, very dim and old in look as if to show her life force.
“Zephyr, Ignis my dears. You stand before me, missing your numbers. Why do you do this to me and my people?” She said, looking between the two of us, Simone and I looked at her boney finger now pointing to us, and motioning for us to come closer.
“Why have you travelled to my realm? And at night when your weakest?” I asked now realizing she called me by my true name. Zephyr, a name I had not heard in millennia.
“I’m sorry who?” Simone asked looking between me and Hecate.
“You two my dears? Ignis don’t play dumb my sweetheart. Where is the rest of your little group? I have some work I need you to do?” Hecate said only addressing us, not looking at anyone else.
“You could call us by out mortal names, and until all the elements are awoke the rest of them have no idea who you are Hecate,” I said stepping forward, holding Desmond’s hand.
“Why speak to the help when I can speak to the leaders. You don’t talk to my warriors, you talk to my general,” She said looking with distain towards the twins and Gabriella.
“Remember your place Hecate,” Desmond’s voice boomed in the thrown room. “You will remember who created you, and who gave you your powers,” He said, Hecate’s mouth dropping open.
Her face turned to Desmond, she blinked slowly as if acknowledging whom he was to her. Her face aged further, the wrinkles getting deeper. The star above her head dimming further.
A general to her army of Hog-were’s came to her side, lifting his snout slightly in the air. A low growling snort, and some squealing noises came from his snout. Hecate responded with a finger, standing up slowly as others stood to help her up. They grabbed her arms, using themselves as her crutch.
“Hecate, dear stay here in my palace. You would be safer staying in my realm and in my palace then to travel at this time and in your state,” I said looking at her, watching her carefully.
She looked off into the distance, as if entertaining the idea. Her face looking tired as her cycle was ending now. So subtle she must not have thought I would have noticed, she looked to Desmond. He nodded slightly in response to her look.
“Zephyr my dear, I shall take you up on your offer. Please remember the time I rise again, I will need your help securing guardians for the evening you trust with your life,” Hecate turned to me her voice getting more ragged and tired.
“Of course, dear Hecate, I will have my finest show you to your room and guard your room,” I said bowing to her as if I had to show respect.
The meeting with Hecate didn’t clear anything up, it was to vague and her coming in the middle of the night was out of character for her. As the Queen of the Hog-Weres, she never left her tree. And for her to think we had all been unbonded was out of character, she of all people should have known we were missing a large portion of us. For the one who senses and awakens magic she should have felt we were still dormant.
That is a problem for tomorrow, maybe in her adult stage she can shed light on what is going on.
Desmond crawled into the bed, turning on the bedside lamp. He fluffed the pillow slightly, motioning for me to walk towards the elegant four poster bed. the most beautiful white sheets with a feather down blanket covering the bed, draping over the edges. The posters with silk drapes tied to each post. The sight was like a dream, a dream I didn’t want to wake from.
The room was huge in size, almost double what mortals call a master, with what looked like a complete closet next to the bathroom door. The walls crystal glass in color, I could see out but nothing could see it. It was amazing, photos covering the walls the art
work and even weapons I could remember Desmond and I using in our past.
Looking at the humans we saved from the Gods all those years ago made me feel home sick for mom and dad, as well as Alexis and Alexander, my brother. Last I say mom she had just unbound my powers from her, something that took so much out of her, I worried it killed her. Watching her collapse on the couch in the hospital was almost to much. I could feel my face prickle as if to tear up.
Dad hunched over her body, holding her tight as if in fear of what was going to happen to them. I know they kept me hidden but the councils forced them to bind our powers, all of us. What would the council do to them for unbinding me? What about Alexis, last I got to see her, she was in surgery with me. Did she make it out okay?
I couldn’t be responsible for them getting hurt. And Alexander, what would the councils do to him? He was so innocent, away at school for the last four years, they cant hurt him or kick him out can they? The thoughts started making my head hurt, I wouldn’t live with myself if they hurt him or any of them for me.
“Kade, you okay?” Desmond whispered in my ear, as he kissed my neck.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, it was exciting. His touch made me shake with anticipation. We maybe in sixteen year old bodies, but we had lived as a couple for millennia, lived as women, lived as men. These mortal bodies were just our current forms, it should have felt so bad, so taboo.
Kissing around my ear her whispered again, “You okay?” pulling down my shirt, he kissed along the back of my neck, between my shoulder blades. My body quivered with his touch, with the feel of his soft lips.
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